We’re not in the top two! At the 2021 New York City Marathon, Kenyan competitors Peres Jepchirchir and Albert Korir performed admirably. On Sunday, November 7, both athletes took first position in the highly anticipated race. According to CNN, Peres won the women’s race, while Albert won the men’s. For those unfamiliar with the marathon, it is a 26.2-mile run across New York City’s five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.
The race starts on Staten Island and finishes in Central Park. The event drew some 30,000 individuals just in time for the 50th New York Marathon, which was postponed last year because to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. The 2021 marathon organizers established various precautions to reduce the chance of the deadly virus spreading, including exchanging vaccine information and enforcing facial coverings. Twenty-eight-year-old Peres raced in the marathon for the first time this year, thus her victory surprised many. She now has two major victories under her belt.
Peres is the first runner to have an Olympic gold medal and win the New York City marathon. She secured her winning place in “2 hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds.”“I thank my God for the energy he has given me,” Peres said following her victory. “I’m going to say this course is not bad, but it’s not easy” especially the finish.Albert also came in hot with an impressive time of “2 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds.”
He ran the 2019 marathon and finished in a close second place. Black excellence was clearly on display. Peres took the place, but a fellow Kenyan racer finished seconds behind her. Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia came in third with a time of “2 hours, 22 minutes, 52 seconds.” When the marathon first began in 1970, the entry fee was only $1. There were 127 registered participants, but only 55 made it to the finish line. Athletes from all over the world now fly in to show off their skills, 50 years later!
